Halliburton expanding natural gas use

Halliburton is expanding its use of natural gas to fuel its vehicles and engines, with the addition of 100 trucks that can run on compressed natural gas.

The bi-fuel pickup trucks can run on either CNG or gasoline and will be used for normal operations, including moving people and equipment for operations in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, California, Louisiana, Utah and Pennsylvania.

The trucks are a part of a pilot program that will help Halliburton learn how to expand its use of natural gas, the company said.

The trucks can cut emissions by 90 percent when they use CNG and Halliburton estimates they will save about $5,100 annually in fuel costs because of the low price of natural gas compared with refined products like gasoline.

The Houston-based oil field services giant is also beginning to use some natural gas to fuel engines that are used to power pumps for hydraulic fracturing. Other companies are experimenting with the alternative fuel for fracking, cutting costs by 40 percent in some cases.

“There is considerable focus across the industry to identify multiple ways to leverage this abundant, reliable and cleaner burning source of energy in day-to-day operations,” Halliburton Western Hemisphere President Jim Brown said in a statement. “The fleet of CNG vehicles is one more example where Halliburton is leading among oil and gas services companies regarding the use of American natural gas.”